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The Blue-tailed Bee-eater, Merops philippinus is a near passerine bird in the bee-eater family Meropidae. It breeds in southeastern Asia. It is strongly migratory.

 

This species, like other bee-eaters, is a richly-coloured, slender bird. It is predominantly green; its face has a narrow blue patch with a black eye stripe, and a yellow and brown throat; the tail is blue and the beak is black. It can reach a length of 23-26 cm, including the two elongated central tail feathers. Sexes are alike.

 

This is a bird which breeds in sub-tropical open country, such as farmland, parks or ricefields. It is most often seen near large waterbodies. Like other bee-eaters it predominantly eats insects, especially bees, wasps and hornets, which are caught in the air by sorties from an open perch.This species probably takes bees and dragonflies in roughly equal numbers. The insect that are caught are beaten on the perch to kill and break the exoskeleton. This habit is seen in many other members of the coraciiformes order.

 

Blue-tailed Bee-eaters usually forage in open habitats near freshwater as well as coasts. Blue-tailed Bee-eaters roost together and a roost may include huge numbers (roosts of hundreds have been observed). They prefer to roost in tall trees inland, as well as in mangroves.

 

Breeding: Like other Bee-eaters, the Blue-tailed Bee-eaters nest in small colonies. They tunnel out a nest and prefer light sandy soil that allows good drainage. They chose a bare sandy flat ground covered with low vegetation in scrubs and tufts. On level ground, the tunnel slopes down sharply, levels off and may then rise slightly upwards again.

 

 

Family: Meropidae

Genus: Merops

Species: M. philippinus

 

 

Taken From a River side , Kerala, India

 

Thanks to Sash jose for the caption !!

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